"Do you know who this is?" Ben asked. "I was meaning to ask you yesterday but I forgot" I glanced at the screen of his phone to see the text message that Layla had sent him. He hadn't replied.

"That's Layla's number" I said while looking at my phone, texting Colton who desperately wanted me to come over. Truthfully I was still frustrated, but I couldn't stay mad at the guy who made me forget how to breathe.

    "Oh, isn't she the one who has a crush on me?" He asked, while typing into the screen of his phone. I looked his way and nodded, although my brain was focused on other things at the moment.

      "Are you texting her back?" I asked nonchalantly. I looked up when he didn't respond and suddenly grew more interested when I saw his fingers typing away at the screen.

"No I'm texting The guys. I think we might go to a strip club tonight"he said. For a second I truly believed him and I really thought that he was for real. But after a while I knew he was joking and only kidding around with me.

"You're kidding." I said while letting a laugh escape my lips. Ben didn't laugh. He just looked at me.

    "Why would I be kidding" He said, looking at me in the eyes. I flinched, a shot of jealousy shot threw my veins. I didn't even know why, it just happened. I wasn't in control of it.

    "Oh"  I said, a look of hurt crossed my face.

   "You shouldn't care that much Elizabeth. You have Colton to hang out with" Ben said like it didn't matter. I don't know, but I cared more than anything. I hated it how he was such a player, how he went to strip clubs and hung out with every hot girl he saw. It was almost like I wanted him to hang out with me, and me only. I wanted to feel special.

It was unbelievably greedy and selfish of me, but my feelings simply wouldn't allow anything else.  I couldn't begin to explain the way I felt, for it would only complicate things more.

      "But I do care" I said honestly. I saw a smile start to form its way on Ben's lips from each corner of his mouth, but he quickly wiped it away and grabbed my shoulders.

       "Elizabeth. Have fun with your boyfriend, and I'll have fun with strippers. Seriously, it will be okay - unless they ganged up and murder
me, but hey. "  Ben laughed, which somehow made me feel better.  I chuckled too and sighed before texting Colton back - telling him that I was free for tonight. 

_________________________

Later that evening, about 8 pm when the sky started to turn shades of pink and orange - Colton drove me out to the local make out spot. It was known as Lovers lane , and from my understanding, every town had one. It was a small gravel parking lot that overlooked a river, secluded in the middle of the woods where few people went during the night.

It was very pretty, especially now when the pink hue of the sky shone into the river perfectly. It was almost the perfect date, and one perfect way to spend my evening.

"Have you ever been here before?" He asked me as he parked the car In front of the railing that prevented cars from taking a tumble into the water. He turned to look at me and gave me a happy smile, one that warmed my heart. I shook my head.

"Yeah, but not with someone that's as hot as you are" I said, with a small laugh. I soon decided that I was not good at flirting.

I instantly remembered when Peter Matthews took me here in 10th grade, it was our first date and it was also my first time ever coming here. I - of course - wasn't aware of his intentions and let's just say the date didn't last more than an hour. I never told Ben about it, because it was something I knew he would've blew completely out of proportion.

But now, sitting here with Colton - I felt safe and secure.

"Elizabeth, I have a question" Colton said, his voice sounding shaky and almost shy. I've never heard him talk like this, but he smiled either way and grabbed my hand in his.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking at him intently.

"For a while now, we've hung out and gone on dates and - I really, really like you Elizabeth." Colton said. My heart started to pick up speed, and I thought I might've forgotten how to breathe. "So, I was wondering - Will you be my girlfriend?"

I smiled. Warmth over took every part of my body and mind. It felt nice to hear him say it, to hear him ask me to go out with him. I instantly nodded without thinking because I already knew my answer long before hand.

"Yes, of course Colton" I said. In that moment he smiled and pressed his hands against the steering wheel before letting out a deep sigh.

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that" He said. He let out a chuckle before relaxing in his seat and smiling. I hadn't noticed before, but the sky was starting to turn dark, but it was a pretty darkness. One that was pure and clear, a darkness that didn't make you scared - but relaxed. I thought it was beautiful. "Hopefully you're not afraid of the dark." Colton teased while smirking and resting his hand on my thigh.

His question only made me think of Ben.

When I was younger I was deathly afraid of the dark, more than a normal kid should. Looking back on it, it might've been because of the numerous horror movies we watched at such a young age. Either way, I hated the dark. One evening however, Ben got us lost in the middle of the woods. I remember I should've been so scared, frightened and absolutely terrified - but for some reason, I wasn't scared. Maybe it was because Ben was right next to me with his arm around my shoulder, or maybe it was because of the millions of jokes he made that night, or maybe it was because I was starting to grow up and get over my irrational fear.

Whatever the reason; it was because of Ben.

"No, I got over that fear along time ago" I said with a small laugh. He chuckled and brushed his hand up more on my thigh, sending a million of waves up my body and through my spine. It felt foreign sitting there, like it wasn't supposed to be, but it was. I was wearing shorts since the weather was calm and nice and fall was slowly coming around the corner. His hand traveled up the hem until it touched the very top of my thigh, his cold hand made me shiver.

"You're so beautiful" Colton remarked, before scooting closer towards me in the driver seat. I smiled, I felt beautiful now even when the clock read 10 pm.

Had we really been here that long?

His other hand was rested on my shoulder as he pulled me closer to him, close enough where I felt his radiating energy. And then his lips met mine, not in full speed, but in a lustful manner. I kissed him back, because I knew he wanted me, and I guess it felt nice to see him go crazy in front of my eyes. The kiss got heated quickly, and before I knew it Colton's hand were at the buckle of my shorts. I let him fiddle with it for a while, thinking that maybe he wouldn't be persistent - but unfortunately I was wrong when he finally got it undone and started sliding my shorts down my legs.

Then, as in the same manner, he reached for his own pants buckle - skillfully he unbuckled his belt and then his jeans. I probably should've stopped him a while ago, before I could see him getting his hopes up. But honestly, I was petrified.

"Colton - I" I started to saw as his pants were halfway down his legs. His underwear was skin tight around his private area - not that I was looking - and his shirt had somehow managed to fly off in the process. Colton let out a deep sigh.

"Elizabeth, don't worry. We don't have to have sex, I was just going further than we did the last time. We're dating now" He said, biting his lip and scooting closer towards me, letting his lips connect with my neck. I let him send kisses down my neck and across my collar bone. Then his hands were at the rim of my shirt, inching it slowly up my torso, revealing my bare stomach.

I let him slip it over my head, and I honestly don't know why. Part of me believed that we wouldn't have sex if I didn't want to, but another thought that that's was Colton wanted.

He sat back and looked at me in my black bra that wasn't very lacy or sexy, but was just a black bra. He reached behind me for the strap and the hook, but I instantly stopped him.

"Colton, this is far enough" I said, somehow managing to speak up and say something.

"Okay.." Colton breathed sharply. I could tell he was disappointed when he went in for another kiss, but I stopped almost instantly when a very familiar car speed into the parking area, fast and furiously it parked in a parking spot farthest away from ours.

It was Ben's car.

I froze.

I'm not sure why I froze, I just did. Maybe it was because I wanted to see what was he was doing - even though I knew what his intentions were. Colton saw what I was looking at, but he only Furrowed his eyebrows in confusion while I watched on.

To the best of my ability I could see the passenger seat reclined, and Ben was only top of whoever it was, furiously making out with her. His shirt was off, but it was hard to tell every detail from here, not that I even wanted to know.

"Do you know who's car that is?" He asked curiously. I nodded, not really thinking about who I was talking to.

"It's Ben's" I said, staring on into the darkness. Colton tensed before instantly buckling his jeans and opening the car door, the inside light turned on. I froze as Ben's gaze lifted towards me, sitting in the car in just my bra and wild hair. A scowl instantly spread across his face as he too, opened the car door to met Colton in between the two cars.

"What do you want asshole" Ben said scornfully. He was completely shirtless, and so was Colton. It was hard not to compare the two, but I instantly did. Ben's abs were sculpted and rock hard, their outline was more profound then anything. Colton's on the other hand, were visible, but compared to Ben's they looked weak.

It was something I hated to say about my boyfriend, but the truth doesn't lie. By now I was furiously scrambling for my shirt so I could cover myself, but the girl in the other car most definitely didn't look like a teenager in high school. She had to have been a stripper from the strip club, or something like that. Just the thought drove me crazy with jealousy.

"I want you to leave my girlfriend and I alone. Go somewhere else, we were hear first"  Colton said. I cringed.

     "Dude I wasn't even bothering you, get over yourself" Ben commented before turning back towards his own car, the girl had a smile etched on her lips.  "And you better not hurt Libs or I'll kill you"

I smiled. What he had said warmed my heart and made me overjoyed, maybe it was simply because I missed him.

         "Whatever Benedict, just leave and we won't have a problem" Colton sneered.

Ben laughed.

"I think we already have a problem" and he punched Colton right in the jaw, sending him backwards multiple steps. I froze. I found myself getting out of the car, slamming it shut and walking over them frantically.

Colton got back up and swung at Ben's face, but missed and ended up hitting mid air. Ben kneed him in the stomach, causing him to grip his abdomen in pain.

     "Ben stop!" I yelled as I ran over to him.  Ben looked up instantly at the sound of his name, which only opened a window of opportunity for Colton to punch Ben in the face.  Ben took one step back before grabbing Colton's wrist and turning it. I frowned instantly when they still continued to fight, pushing more and more.

    "Colton, Ben! I'm serious, stop it!" I yelled louder. This time I was in between them, trying desperately to get them apart. As soon as I pressed my hand up against Ben's chest, pushing him backwards towards his own car, Ben stopped. He looked at me, no anger or madness, just pure sadness. He sighed and looked at Colton, whose lip was bleeding and a pissed off scowl was on his face.

     "If I wouldn't have stopped, you would be dead. Now go" Ben said, his mouth in a serious straight line that scared me. Colton looked at him, and I could tell he didn't want to stop. He wanted to keep going, but I know he would only end up getting hurt more.

  The night was ruined anyways, whatever Colton had had planned before definitely wasn't going to happen now. It was a lost cause and we both knew it. So we drove home, although I can tell Ben wasn't far behind us. Ultimately, I was embarrassed. Embarrassed because Ben had seen me in a vulnerable position with a guy he considered a wimp. But since when did I care what Ben thought of me and who I dated?

The question didn't seem to matter, because I cared now. 

The whole car ride home I couldn't stop thinking about him. The way his abs felt against my hand, so different from the way Colton's felt.  They were tense as soon as I touched him, but then I realized they were always like that.

And the weird part was, I found myself wanting to go over to his house that night, just so I could spend the night - should that be considered cheating now since I was technically dating Colton?

I sighed. Too many questions I couldn't supply an answer for, and they were all driving me insane.